According to a report from our sister site Better Roads, the Strengthen and Fortify Bridges (SAFE Bridges) Act would direct $5.5 billion in funding to the repair of more than 150,000 bridges that are classified as structurally deficient.

One of the bill’s supporters, Congressman Nick Rahall (D-WV) called the collapse a “dramatic wakeup call.” “Congress simply cannot keep hitting the snooze button when it comes to needed investment in our nation’s bridges or think that these aging structures can be rehabilitated with rhetoric,” he said.